Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-06-11
III DIRT WE EAT.
Cheerful Report OF h Government
Chemist on Food swindlea.

Cheerful Report OF the Government
Chemist on Food swindleA.
Part I of Bulletin No. 10, Department
Of Agriculture, Division of Chemistry,
now in press, treats of the adulteration Of
dairy products, and tells nothing new.
Part ii consists of the results Of an in
vestigation Of spices and condiments and
their authorizations, by Clifford Richard
son. The extent Of fraud in this direc-
ton in this and other countries Is looked
into and the results Of the investigations
Of public analysts and boards of health
collected and reviewed. The best means
to employ for the detection Of foreign
substances, both microscopical and chem
ical, are explained, so that the report
will serve as a valuable means of refer
ence for those engaged in similar work.
A large number of specimens of spices
and condiments purchased in Washing
ton and Baltimore in this connection
have been carefully examined and an
alyzed. The results show the almost
universal practice which exists of dilu-
ton Of the pure spice with cheap or
waste material, or the substitution of in
ferior goods. The more common adul-
terants were found to be, for this part of
the country, yellow corn meal cracker
dust, colored earths or ochres, ~cayennes,
mustard hulls and ~farinaceous matter Of
all kinds. Elsewhere ground refuse Co
coanut shells, peanut shells, oil cake, COW
peas, cedar sawdust, olive stones and
h..olrrrha.t ms Aftan fn..pA vnnpn
eleven brands of mustard nom were
found which had undergone no alteration
from the original seed.
In all hut the English the fixed oil had
been expressed, since it Is used for many
purposes and adds nothing TO the value
of the seed as a condiment. This, per-
haps, cannot be classed as IN adultera-
ton. The commoner additions are -four
and yellow cornmeal, with at times hulls
of the white mustard seed, and color in
the shape Of turmeric or some coal tar
yellow. None Of these authorizations are
injurious, but deprive the purchaser OF
his rights. Mineral matter is at times
added. Ordinary gypsum was found in
two samples in large amount, and sand
In another to a greater extent than conld
occur by accident. The latter brand
contained flour as well as sand, and was
deprived of its oil.
Only n pure brand of pepper was
found and that was of English origin.
The cheaper varieties were made up of
pepper hulls, yellow corn, burnt shells,
cracker dust, woody fiber and cayenne
to give pungency, all these materials
being found in M specimen. Red pep
per was made from yellow corn and a
red earth. with sufficient cayenne for
pungency.
Ginger is found in its original condi-
ton in many qualities. Then it is diluted
with farinaceous matter, mustard hulls,
corn and burnt shells, and is often col
ored with turmeric.
Cloves suffer from the abstraction Of
the essential oil which gives them their
value, and are adulterated with material
of inferior nature, such as spent cloves
and Glove stems, corn, burned shells and
mineral coloring matter. Different
grinders select their adulterants, and by
the aid of coloring run them through
many different spices.-Washington Cor.
| New York World.